Green crab

Originally, we were meant to find the Asian Shore Crab, but unfortunately we were unable to. We found this very odd, considering that the Asian Shore Crab is an invasive species, and therefore should have a high population. Instead of the Asian Shore Crab, we decided to look for the Green Crab, which we found. We are sure we found the Green Crab, because the crab we found had a carapace that was about 10 cm wide, and it had five spines on the outside of each eye. The shell was shaped like a pentagon and was a dark green color with white patterns and coloring. The crab was very fast and difficult to catch, with thin, pointy claws that had extremely sharp tips. We were surprised that the crab we found was green, considering that only 5% of adult Green Crabs are actually green. We found our crab under a large rock covered in gooey seaweed in the intertidal zone. We could smell the salty ocean air and hear the waves crashing on the shore. The only problem we ran into was trying to catch the crab, it was fast!

Supporting Evidence

The crab we found has a pentagon shaped carapace that is about 10 cm wide. It is green with with white patterns.

When we tried to catch our crab, it was extremely fast and difficult to catch. The crabs claws were thin and pointy with sharp tips.

The crab we found had five spines on the outside of each eye.

Species Observation: Species Looked For

Did you find it?:

I think I found it

Scientific name:

Carcinus maenas

Common name:

Green crab

Is it alive?:

All alive

Count of individuals:

1-10

Coverage:

Less than 1/4 covered

Reproduction:

Eggs (animals)

How big is it?:

5 - 10 cm

Is it male or female?:

Can't tell

Sampling method:

Quadrat (user-placement)

Place Studied

We’re sorry, JavaScript is required to view the map. If JavaScript is you may wish to upgrade to a newer browser in order to view this map.